I’m A Celeb fans have been given their first glimpse of boxing legend Barry McGuigan on the reality show as new images released show him alongside his fellow celebrity contestants
The new pictures from the upcoming series which begins on Sunday show the boxer standing on a beach in Australia alongside four other campmates – radio presenter Melvin Odoom, podcaster and influencer GK Barry, Coronation Street star Alan Halsall and wife of former England captain Wayne Rooney and ‘Wagatha Christie’ Coleen Rooney.
McGuigan, who was born in Clones, Monaghan, is best known for winning the world featherweight title against Eusebio Pedroza in 1985, and represented Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Games at Edmonton in 1978 and Ireland in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.
He also won BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year in 1985.
Melvin, GK Barry, Coleen, Barry and Alan in the on the beach in Australia (Photo: ITV)
Speaking ahead of his entry into the jungle next weekend, the ‘Clones Cyclone’ said he is looking forward to tackling the psychological aspect of the reality show hosted by Ant and Dec which drops celebrities into the middle of the Australian jungle.
The 63-year-old said of the show: “It can be physically arduous, but it’s the psychological part of it that I want to conquer before I get too old.
“I’m 63 now. I’d like to think I’m a young 63, but that doesn’t mean it’ll make any of these challenges easy. I’d rather do it when I’m 63 than 73, put it that way.”
The boxer won’t be alone in the jungle as fellow NI man Dean McCullough is set to join him.
The former Gaydio presenter and current Radio 1 presenter will also be a part of the line-up in the series which also includes columnist Jane Moore and N-Dubz and former X-Factor judge Tulisa and Strictly star Oti Mabuse.
I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! returns on Sunday 17th November on ITV1 and ITVX.